4.11.2007

Yes. This Is A Post About the Weather.... Well F*^^% You Too!

A couple of weeks ago, here in Michigan we enjoyed a spate of balmy weather topping out into the 80s. Spring's early arrival triggered the annual en masse exposure of flesh that only a Midwestern campus town can know, and in my own neighborhood small children once more tore around the block on their bikes while their parents gently chatted over fences. People came together to revel in warm and open spaces and to admire one another's bulb gardens.

Except me. I was freaked out. Freaked out by this sudden onset of warmth and clamminess. The lack of appropriate clothes. The realization that my legs still wore their customary winter shag and my feet in serious need of a pedicure (or at least some de-gnarling). And then there is that pressure to Be Outside Enjoying It While You Can. And to Make Sure the Children Get Plenty of Fresh Air.

I am not an Outdoorsy Person. I think you could safely describe me as an Indoorsy Person. When August fades into Fall and that first cold snap hits the air, I love the anticipation of hunkering down and become positively giddy as I sit on the couch and watch my Husband lug in several tons of logs for the fire. I even like it when it gets dark earlier, and we are safely coccooned in our living room enjoying that blaze while I watch endless hours of television and blog and stuff my face knit and do jigsaw puzzles with my son. I'm English. We dig gloomy weather.

But Holy Fuck. I can't take any more of this. I'm sorry already, ok? Days and days of snow and wind and wrestling my boys into padded garments. The daffodils are fucked and my son is asking if this means it's Christmas soon...

hearing you, o frozen one. we had one of the coldest winters on record, which made getting out and walking with the baby less than fun. now he's grown out of his snowsuit, and we got two feet of the damn stuff on Easter Sunday. i mean, i know it's Canada but this is ridiculous...

Oh yeah, I understand. It's been much of the same here in Ohio. Just after getting out all my warm-weather clothes, it gets cold again and I now have two seasons worth of clothing scattered around my bedroom.

See, that's the thing. All this snow and wind and sleet just doesn't GO with the light-until-8:30-because-it's-Daylight-Savings-Time thing. To really enjoy that weather, we have to be turning the lights on at 5:00. The Christmas lights.

The daffodils are beyond fucked here too. But then we had such warm weather in late-November in Boston that lilacs started to come into season. Crazy.

It's only raining here, but if you have snow and a second Christmas would make your son happy, I say go get some mark-downed Easter candy,crack open a bottle or two, roast a ham or turkey and deck the halls.

I live in Minnesota and love the fall and winter for the same reasons you do.

I'm beginning to think my childhood (backward) version of the Grounhog's Day legend was right... I used to think that if he saw his shadow, that would be good because winter would end in about 6 weeks (the middle of March). If he didn't see his shadow, winter would go on indefinitely... you can see where I might have got that idea, no?